Post #101, The End...

Hey, Everyone...

This is the last "(Wr)etchings" post...

Thanks to everyone, named and anonymous, who has supported my art and tolerated my rants for the last two years. You have been part of a great awakening, a re-vitalization of my soul, and your comments and well-wishes are much appreciated...

Okay, enough eulogizing: how's about a little resurrecting?

That's right, Suitkiller.net is up and running! After more than a month of delays and empty promises, I'm pleased to announce that there's a new home for my artwork and bizarre thoughts. By clicking on the link above, you'll be able to see new art, read movie reviews, and learn a little bit about Yours Truly. I'm even working on a Web store, where you'll be able to buy prints of previous works!

I've got big plans for Suitkiller.net, and hope you'll join me for the evolution. One note: in its initial form, the site may take a minute to load--depending on your computer; I promise, though, that once the initial load has finished, the page navigation is super-fast...

Thanks again, everybody!

P.S. This blog isn't going anywhere. It may be "inactive", but it's certainly not dead...

(Low) Standard-Bearer...

Seriously, this salt-of-the-earth, homespun wisdom nonsense has to stop. Sarah Palin may be qualified to run Alaska, but she has the global political acumen of, well, George W. Bush. She's sassy, alright, and can deliver a convincing "dog-gone-it" like nobody's business, but she doesn't belong anywhere near the White House--unless there's an anti-gay-rights rally or something (but even her position on that is fuzzy)...

I know this piece, "Cult Icon", is vulgar and may turn some people off. I freely admit that I created this out of anger; anger at McCain/Palin for being so cynical as to think that a MILF-tastic, pandering performance at at Vice-Presidential debate would work. Polling indicates that their gamble hasn't paid off, and the would-be VP has been sequestered for the remainder of the campaign. I want to believe that there aren't enough easily impressed undecideds to turn the tide against the Obama juggernaut, but we'll see how the next month plays out...

Rockin' the Doctrine...

Last night, I attended a lecture at the University of Chicago's International House. Naomi Klein, author of The Shock Doctrine, was scheduled to debate one of the seven faculty supporters of the proposed $200 million Milton Friedman Institute. This mammoth shrine to a dead ideology is quite the topic of controversy; but not one that needs a lot of defending, apparently, as no one showed up to debate her...

Instead, we were treated to a wonderful speech about the current state of economic affairs and their roots in the Friedman world view. The talk was followed by a spirited Q&A, the highlight of which was a soap-box speech by a young Trotskyite who was eventually shouted down; this bothered me a great deal because, while he was highly annoying, I'm always uncomfortable with mobs telling people to shut up. Ms. Klein addressed the kid's concerns, however, in a respectful, assertive fashion...

The evening ended with a booksigning, and I had the pleasure of meeting the author briefly. She's quite lovely, and sharper than ninety percent of the people I see discussing real issues on television...

Incidentally, if you'd like to oppose the Friedman Institute, you can sign an online petition here...

The Zest of Senility...

The one thing I understand less than John McCain is his popularity. Perhaps in a world gone mad, a madman should be king. Faithfully submitted, this one's called, "What the Fuck?!"

The 21st Century...

Hey, All. In response to HHRose's question, I didn't post anything about Friday night's debate because I've been out of town all weekend. Following the LUMA opening (pictured), Darlena and I headed to Lafayette, Indiana for Feast of the Hunter's Moon; this is an annual re-enactment of the French/Indian War in which we've been participating for several years. I wish I could say I had a great time, but with all the stress of the previous week (month), I found it impossible to relax--especially in the pounding heat...

We were able to hear the debate on NPR during the drive down. Scary. Not so much the debate, but the immediate spin following it. TV wisdom has it that Obama lost because he spent too much time on the defensive. My take is that Obama gave a series of cool-headed, assertive responses to the most bat-shit crazy accusations I've heard in a long time. On the Sunday talk shows, which I'm watching right now because I still can't rest (I got up at 3am, and will be at work in less than three hours), John McCain has been smiling his way through lie after lie, and brushing off media accusations as "freedom of speech"...

If it's true that our leaders are supposed to represent the best and brightest of us, we deserve better than the prospect of McCain/Palin. Wait, is that even true?

Busy Not Thinking About The Bailout...

It's been quiet around here, I know. But not for the usual reasons. I've been very productive lately, toiling away on a number of projects that will--hopefully--come to fruition in the very near future. Presented here is a hint of something that will appear on my friend Chad's forthcoming Chateau Grrr site. It's a really cool one-stop-shop for all things creepy, crazy, and cool, and it's been a blast working up contributions...

Suitkiller.net is still in development; did you know that it's a lot of work building a Web site? My goal is to have it up and running in time for the LUMA opening, and I'm scrambling like Hell to make that happen...

As far as political art goes, I've got a lot of ideas brewing, but very little time in which to execute them--especially because of the as-yet-unmentioned third project, which I wil discuss later. Fear not, friends. I'm still fired up about current affairs, and look forward to spilling some ink for the cause. 'Til next time, stuff your mattresses with every available dollar. And stay positive...

Glue Factory...

This is the last time I'll flog the corpse of the Obama/FISA issue (at least until after November, barring any new developments). In truth, I laid out this drawing a few months ago and let it stagnate on my drawing table as maliaise and, eventually, other projects came along to wipe it off my radar. I'm not quite as mad about the FISA vote as I was back then, but that's only because the Republicans have upped the ante of our national "discussion" and it's time to move on to bigger battles ("bigger" in terms of immediacy, not importance)...

I call this one, "Frustrated, Incorporated", with all due thanks to Soul Asylum...